Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Development and exploratory analysis of software to detect look-alike, sound-alike medicine names

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Embargo Lift Date
    2021-03-09
    Authors
    Emmerton, Lynne
    Curtain, C.
    Swaminathan, G.
    Dowling, H.
    Date
    2020
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Emmerton, L. and Curtain, C. and Swaminathan, G. and Dowling, H. 2020. Development and exploratory analysis of software to detect look-alike, sound-alike medicine names. International Journal of Medical Informatics. 137: Article No 104119.
    Source Title
    International Journal of Medical Informatics
    DOI
    10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104119
    ISSN
    1386-5056
    Faculty
    Faculty of Health Sciences
    School
    School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/78447
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Background: ‘Look-alike, sound-alike’ (LASA) medicines may be confused by prescribers, pharmacists, nurses and patients, with serious consequences for patient safety. The current research aimed to develop and trial software to proactively identify LASA medicines by computing medicine name similarity scores. Methods: Literature review identified open-source software from the United States Food and Drug Administration for screening of proposed medicine names. We adapted and refined this software to compute similarity scores (0.0000–1.0000) for all possible pairs of medicines registered in Australia. Two-fold exploratory analysis compared: • Computed similarity scores vs manually-calculated similarity scores that had used a different algorithm and underpinned development of Australia's 2011 Tall Man Lettering List (‘the 2011 List’) • Computed risk category vs expert-consensus risk category that underpinned the 2011 List. Results: Screening of the Australian medicines register identified 7,750 medicine pairs with at least moderate (arbitrarily ≥0.6600) name similarity, including many oncology, immunomodulating and neuromuscular-blocking medicines. Computed similarity scores and resulting risk categories demonstrated a modest correlation with the manually-calculated similarity scores (r = 0.324, p < 0.002, 95 % CI 0.119–0.529). However, agreement between the resulting risk categories was not significant (Cohen's kappa = −0.162, standard error = 0.063). Conclusions: The software (LASA v2) has potential to identify pairs of confusable medicines. It is recommended to supplement incident reports in risk-management programs, and to facilitate pre-screening of medicine names prior to brand/trade name approval and inclusion of medicines in formularies.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Look-alike and sound-alike medicines: risks and ‘solutions’
      Emmerton, Lynne; Rizk, M. (2012)
      ‘Look-alike, sound-alike’ medicines are associated with dispensing errors. This commentary aims to fuel discussion surrounding how drug name nomenclature and similar packaging between medicines can lead to selection errors, ...
    • Evidence-to-practice gaps in the management of community-dwelling Australian patients with ischaemic heart disease
      Schmid, O.; Stafford, Leanne; Bereznicki, L. (2015)
      © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Summary What is known and objective Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death in developed countries. Patients with IHD are at greater risk of subsequent myocardial infarction ...
    • Breastfeeding and perceptions of breast shape changes in Australian and Japanese women
      Inoue, Madoka (2012)
      This thesis examines infant feeding practices, including knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding, factors that influence the duration of breastfeeding, and breastfeeding outcomes in relation to postpartum women’s ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin University would like to pay our respect to the indigenous members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth Campus is located, the Wadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie Campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.
    Watch our traditional Aboriginal welcome